38 U.S. Code § 2408 - Aid to States for establishment, expansion, and improvement of veterans’ cemeteries

(1)Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary may make a grant to any State for the following purposes:

(A)Establishing, expanding, or improving a veterans’ cemetery owned by the State.

(B)Operating and maintaining such a cemetery.

(2)A grant under paragraph (1) may be made only upon submission of an application to the Secretary in such form and manner, and containing such information, as the Secretary may require.

(b)A grant under this section for a purpose described in subsection (a)(1)(A) shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1)The amount of such a grant may not exceed—

(A)in the case of the establishment of a new cemetery, the sum of:

(i) the cost of improvements to be made on the land to be converted into a cemetery; and

(ii) the cost of initial equipment necessary to operate the cemetery; and

(B)in the case of the expansion or improvement of an existing cemetery, the sum of:

(i) the cost of improvements to be made on any land to be added to the cemetery; and

(ii) the cost of any improvements to be made to the existing cemetery.

(2)If the amount of such a grant is less than the amount of costs referred to in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1), the State receiving the grant shall contribute the excess of such costs over the grant.

(3)If a State that has received such a grant to establish, expand, or improve a veterans’ cemetery ceases to own such cemetery, ceases to operate such cemetery as a veterans’ cemetery, or uses any part of the funds provided through such grant for a purpose other than that for which the grant was made, the United States shall be entitled to recover from such State the total of all grants made under this section to such State in connection with such cemetery.

(c)

(1)In addition to the conditions specified in subsection (b) of this section, any grant to a State under this section to assist such State in establishing a veterans’ cemetery shall be made on the condition that such cemetery shall conform to such standards and guidelines relating to site selection, planning, and construction as the Secretary may by regulation prescribe. In prescribing regulations for the purposes of the preceding sentence, the Secretary shall take into account the standards and guidelines for site selection, planning, and construction that are applicable to cemeteries under the control of the National Cemetery Administration, including those provided in subsections (b), (c), and (d) ofsection
2404 of this title.

(2)The Secretary may by regulation prescribe such additional terms and conditions for grants under this section as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(d)

(1)In addition to the conditions specified in subsections (b) and (c), any grant made to a State under this section shall be made subject to the condition specified in paragraph (2).

(2)For purposes of paragraph (1), the condition described in this paragraph is that, after the date of the receipt of the grant, such State prohibit the interment or memorialization in that cemetery of a person described in section
2411(b) of this title, subject to the receipt of notice described in subsection (a)(2) of such section, except that for purposes of this subsection—

(A)such notice shall be furnished to an appropriate official of such State; and

(B)a finding described in subsection (b)(3) of such section shall be made by an appropriate official of such State.

(e)

(1)Amounts appropriated to carry out this section shall remain available until expended. If all funds from a grant under this section have not been utilized by a State for the purpose for which the grant was made within three years after such grant is made, the United States shall be entitled to recover any such unused grant funds from such State.

(2)In any fiscal year, the aggregate amount of grants awarded under this section for the purposes specified in subsection (a)(1)(B) may not exceed $5,000,000.

(f)

(1)The Secretary may make grants under this subsection to any tribal organization to assist the tribal organization in establishing, expanding, or improving veterans’ cemeteries, or in operating and maintaining such cemeteries, on trust land owned by, or held in trust for, the tribal organization.

(2)Grants under this subsection shall be made in the same manner, and under the same conditions, as grants to States are made under the preceding provisions of this section.

(3)For purposes of this subsection:

(A)The term “tribal organization” has the meaning given that term in section
3765(4) of this title.

(B)The term “trust land” has the meaning given that term in section
3765(1) of this title.

2007—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–157, § 202(b)(1), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Subject to subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary may make grants to any State to assist such State in establishing, expanding, or improving veterans’ cemeteries owned by such State. Any such grant may be made only upon submission of an application to the Secretary in such form and manner, and containing such information, as the Secretary may require.”

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–157, § 202(b)(3)(A), substituted “A grant under this section for a purpose described in subsection (a)(1)(A)” for “Grants under this section” in introductory provisions and “such a grant” for “a grant under this section” wherever appearing.

Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 110–157, § 202(b)(3)(B), struck out “to assist such State in establishing, expanding, or improving a veterans’ cemetery” before “shall be made subject”.

1998—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 105–368, § 404(c), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “There is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1980 and for each of the four succeeding fiscal years, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1985 and for each of the fourteen succeeding fiscal years, for the purpose of making grants under paragraph (1) of this subsection.”

“(1) The amount of any grant under this section may not exceed an amount equal to 50 percent of the total of the value of the land to be acquired or dedicated for the cemetery and the cost of the improvements to be made on such land, with the remaining amount to be contributed by the State receiving the grant.

“(2) If at the time of a grant under this section the State receiving the grant dedicates for the purposes of the cemetery involved land already owned by the State, the value of such land may be considered in determining the amount of the State’s contribution under paragraph (1) of this subsection, but the value of such land may not be used for more than an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount of such contribution and may not be used as part of such State’s contribution for any subsequent grant under this section.”

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 105–368, § 403(c)(8), substituted “under the control of the National Cemetery Administration” for “in the National Cemetery System”.

Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 105–368, § 1005(b)(5), substituted “November 21, 1997,” for “the date of the enactment of this subsection” and “subject to the condition specified in” for “on the condition described in”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105–368, § 401(b), substituted “shall remain available until expended” for “shall remain available until the end of the second fiscal year following the fiscal year for which they are appropriated” in first sentence.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 100–322, § 343(1)–(3), redesignated par. (2) as (1), substituted “percent” for “per centum”, and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “No State may receive grants under this section in any fiscal year in a total amount in excess of 20 per centum of the total amount appropriated for such grants for such fiscal year.”

1984—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 98–223inserted “, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1985 and for each of the four succeeding fiscal years,” after “fiscal years”.

Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Pub. L. 105–368, title IV, § 404(a)(2),Nov. 11, 1998, 112 Stat. 3339, provided that: “The amendment made by paragraph (1) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to grants under section
2408 of title
38, United States Code, made after the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 11, 1998].”

Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 18, 1978, see section 205(a) ofPub. L. 95–476, set out as an Effective Date of 1978 Amendment note under section
2303 of this title.

Regulations

Pub. L. 110–157, title II, § 202(b)(4),Dec. 26, 2007, 121 Stat. 1833, provided that: “Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 26, 2007], the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe regulations to carry out the amendments made by this subsection [amending this section].”